The City of New York Department of Buildings

To apply for a license, visit the Licensing Forms section of the City of New York Department of Buildings website: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/licensing.page

After your examination application with the Department has been accepted, you will receive a notice via email that you may schedule your written licensure examination. This notice will provide the information you need to schedule your examination. After scheduling the examination, you will receive a confirmation email with appointment details.

If your trade requires that you take a written examination, you must you pass the written examination before you can schedule a practical examination. If you pass the written examination, you will be notified immediately, and you will be eligible to apply for the practical examination. You must complete and submit the practical examination application as outlined on the Department’s website, located at https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/pdf/lic42.pdf. Check the box that indicates your trade and submit the application with the appropriate fee. You must submit your practical examination application within three (3) months of passing the written examination.

The Department will transmit your information to CPS HR Consulting. CPS HR Consulting will schedule you for a practical examination administration within two (2) months of receiving your information from the Department. When your examination administration has been scheduled, you will receive a scheduling notice from CPS HR Consulting.

You may cancel and reschedule a written examination appointment without forfeiting your fee if your cancellation notice is received two (2) calendar days before the scheduled examination date. For example, for a Monday appointment, the cancellation notice would need to be received on or before the previous Saturday. The website link and phone number to call to cancel your appointment will be provided in your examination scheduling confirmation email. Please note that you may also use the automated system, using a touch-tone phone, 24 hours a day in order to cancel and reschedule your appointment. If you do not cancel or reschedule your examination two (2) calendar days in advance, you will have to submit another examination application and pay an additional fee.

Note: A voice mail message is not an acceptable form of cancellation. Please use the website link, automated telephone system (IVR), or call the number provided and speak to a customer service representative.

If you are unable to attend the practical examination on the date stated in your scheduling notice, you may request to be rescheduled to a future examination appointment without forfeiting your fee. This request must be received at least fourteen (14) calendar days before the scheduled examination date or you will be required to reapply for the practical examination (including paying another practical examination fee). The contact information for requesting to be rescheduled is provided in your scheduling notice email. If you do not request to reschedule your examination at least fourteen calendar days in advance, you must re-apply for the practical examination (using the practical examination application only), including payment of the application fee.

Note: The support phone line for the practical examination is staffed from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). However, if you are unable to reach a customer service representative for the practical examination, a voicemail or email at least fourteen (14) calendar days in advance is an acceptable way to request a reschedule.

You must schedule your examination at least 24 hours prior to the desired date and time. When possible, it is recommended to schedule further in advance in order to ensure availability. Seats in the test location are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.

If your trade requires that you take a written examination, you must pass the written examination in order to take the practical examination. You must submit your practical examination application within three (3) months of passing the written examination.

If your trade only requires a practical examination, the Department will review your application for licensure. Upon approval of your application, the Department will transmit your information to CPS HR Consulting. CPS HR Consulting will schedule you for a practical examination administration within two (2) months of receiving your information from the Department. When your examination administration has been scheduled, you will receive a scheduling notice from CPS HR Consulting.

All examination centers are equipped to provide access in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and every reasonable accommodation will be made in meeting a candidate’s needs. Applicants with disabilities or those who would otherwise have difficulty taking the examination must fill out the form and fax to (916) 561-7244.

Special Examination Arrangement requests MUST be submitted with the application to be accepted.

Note: Please submit professional documentation of your disability with your application to help us determine the necessary testing arrangements. Thirty (30) days of advance notice is required for all special examination arrangements. There is no additional charge for these accommodations.

Written examinations will be administered online using computer work stations. Reasonable testing accommodations are provided to allow candidates with documented disabilities recognized under the Americans with Disabilities Act an opportunity to demonstrate their skills and knowledge.

Special Examination Arrangement requests MUST be submitted with the application to be accepted.

Testing generally does not occur on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the Friday after, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Please refer to the Licensing section of the City of New York Department of Buildings website (https://www1.nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/licensing.page) to determine what materials to bring. Examples of materials needed include work clothes, gloves, work boots, and a hard hat (for practical examinations).

You will be required to present two forms of identification in order to take your examination.

The first form of identification must be a current and valid, government issued identification with a photo. In addition, it must contain your signature and the name on the identification must match the name you used to register for your examination. Acceptable forms of identification that meet these standards include the following:
‍
State Issued Driver's License
State Issued Identification Card
Current, U.S. Government Issued Passport
U.S. Government Issued Military Identification Card
U.S. Permanent Resident card with a photo (Green Card)
‍
The second form of identification may be any non-expired identification with a photo. If you arrive at your appointment and are unable to meet the above identification requirements, you will not be permitted to test and you will have to pay an additional examination fee. For more information, feel free to visit the Licensing section of the City of New York Department of Buildings website: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/licensing.page.

To determine education and experience requirements, please visit the Licensing Exams and Qualifications section of the City of New York Department of Buildings website: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/licensing.page

For the written examination, the Proctor will give you a printed score report immediately following completion of the examination. The report indicates overall score and grade and whether you passed or failed. Proctors do not have any information about these tests or scoring methods. Whether you pass or fail, you will receive a printed score report following completion of the examination. The Department requires you to submit the original pass score report as part of the submission of your background investigation documents.

For the practical examination, you will be notified by U.S. mail within four (4) to six (6) weeks of the date of your examination. Your practical examination score report will include your score (pass or fail) on each section of the examination.

If you pass the necessary examination(s) for your trade, you are required to submit, in person, a Background Investigation Questionnaire and all required documents within one (1) year of passing the necessary examination(s) to the Department’s Licensing Unit. Please refer to the “How to Apply Guide” on the Department website at www.nyc.gov/buildings.

If you successfully pass the background investigation, you will receive a notice of qualification from the Department. Upon receipt of the notice, you must contact the Department's Licensing Unit to schedule an appointment to obtain the license. You have one year from the receipt of the notice of qualification to appear and furnish to the Department all requested original forms, documents and fees. Failure to do so will result in the denial of the license and will require a re-examination and reapplication.

If you have any questions regarding the application or the application process, please contact the Department of Buildings Licensing & Exams Unit at (212) 393-2259 or email LicenseExams@buildings.nyc.gov.

If you fail the written examination, you must wait fourteen (14) days before reapplying for the examination. You may retake the examination, when available, up to three (3) times within a six (6) month period. Each time you wish to take the examination, you must reapply through the Department and pay the full examination fee. Candidates who fail the written examination three (3) times within six (6) months must wait six (6) months before applying again to take the written examination. For more information, visit the Licensing section of the New York City Department of Buildings website: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/buildings/industry/licensing.page.

If you fail the practical examination, you must wait before reapplying to take the examination again. You must wait at least ninety days (90) from the failed exam date before reapplying. You may take the practical examination two (2) times within a twelve (12) month period. Candidates who fail the practical examination two (2) times within twelve (12) months must wait six (6) months before applying again to take the practical examination. Each time you wish to take the examination, you must reapply through the Department and pay the full examination fee.

If you fail the written examination by five (5) points or fewer, or if you fail the practical examination by not more than five (5) percentage points or by no more than one(1) exam section, you may submit an appeal. The appeal must state the title of the license examination, your name, return address, the date of the test, and a detailed statement of the grounds for appeal. Your appeal must be received no later than thirty (30) days from the date of notification of failure to pass the license examination. An appeal form can be found at the CPS HR website here.

Submit your appeal to CPS HR Consulting at nycdob@cpshr. using the same email address provided to NYC DOB on your LIC41 or LIC42. The Appeals Committee will review your appeal and send you a written response (via USPS and email) within sixty (60) days of receipt.

Appeals can be mailed to:
Attn: NYC DOB Appeals
2450 Del Paso Road, Suite 160
Sacramento, CA 95834